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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Exploring Anti-Schistosoma Analog Sa01, Sarah Alsuleiman
Exploring Anti-Schistosoma Analog Sa01, Sarah Alsuleiman
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Schistosomiasis is a waterborne parasitic worm infection able to infect in the larval stage through direct skin penetration. This disease affects approximately 270 million people worldwide and is widespread in tropical as well as subtropical regions with higher distribution in areas lacking sufficient sanitation and safe drinking water. Although some possible alternatives are emerging, currently, the most effective drug treatment is praziquantel (PZQ). However, PZQ is only effective against the adult stage of the worm, allowing juvenile worms to progress in the infection. Furthermore, Schistosoma is developing resistance to this drug as reduced efficacy has been noted. As a result, …
Targeted Therapy For The Future: The Use Of Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Against P. Aeurginosa, Matthew Froid
Targeted Therapy For The Future: The Use Of Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Against P. Aeurginosa, Matthew Froid
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Pathogenic bacteria, such as the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are becoming resistant to our current arsenal of antibiotics at an alarming rate. P. aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial acquired infections and is a primary co-morbidity in patients with compromised immune systems. One potential source of new antibiotic agents is antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins, and some have shown a high degree of efficacy and broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. An experimental AMP that has been developed by Dr. Wang at UNMC, DASamp2, has shown to be effective against virulent bacteria, including P. …
Large Scale Dynamical Model Of Macrophage/Hiv Interactions, Matthew M. Froid
Large Scale Dynamical Model Of Macrophage/Hiv Interactions, Matthew M. Froid
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Properties emerge from the dynamics of large-scale molecular networks that are not discernible at the individual gene or protein level. Mathematical models - such as probabilistic Boolean networks - of molecular systems offer a deeper insight into how these emergent properties arise. Here, we introduce a non-linear, deterministic Boolean model of protein, gene, and chemical interactions in human macrophage cells during HIV infection. Our model is composed of 713 nodes with 1583 interactions between nodes and is responsive to 38 different inputs including signaling molecules, bacteria, viruses, and HIV viral particles. Additionally, the model accurately simulates the dynamics of over …
Towards A Mechanism Of Action Of An Antischistosomal Drug: Measuring Granulocytic Activity, Samantha Sack
Towards A Mechanism Of Action Of An Antischistosomal Drug: Measuring Granulocytic Activity, Samantha Sack
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by a family of schistosome parasites which leads to vital organ damage. Praziquantel (PZ) is the only available treatment, but it is effective only against the adult worm. Partner labs have tested an antischistosomal drug which has been shown to have a higher efficacy against both juvenile and mature parasites in mice and monkeys compared to PZ. This effectiveness does not transfer to in vitro experiments; it kills the parasite outside of its host only at extremely high concentrations. This indicates that its efficacy is host-dependent, but the mechanism by which it functions …
The Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide-Independent Media For Toxoplasma Gondii Growth, Matthew C. Martens
The Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide-Independent Media For Toxoplasma Gondii Growth, Matthew C. Martens
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Toxoplasma gondii is a human pathogen that plays a role as the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, a disease that produces many deleterious effects for immunocompromised individuals and infants. Current research involving this intracellular parasite requires the use and continues maintenance of costly cell incubators attached to bulky carbon dioxide canisters. To reduce laboratory costs and space requirements, we, therefore, propose a novel procedure by which human foreskin fibroblasts, as well as Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites, may be grown in a commercially available carbon dioxide-independent media. Growth assays utilizing resazurin dye or relative fluorescence from parasites modified with a red fluorescent protein …